Something On Your Cheek
by Kalira69
Summary: Sokka was just being a good boyfriend! Isn't he allowed to be concerned?


Written for a Mousie's request on my Tumblr, for the dialogue prompt 'you have something on your cheek'.

* * *

Katara eyed the boys as they came back up the path. "What's this?" she asked curiously, nodding towards their burdens. She slipped her needle into the fabric of her skirt to hold it as she examined the tunic in her lap. The hem had come unsewn at one side, near the split; she couldn't wear it _here_ anyway, but she would again eventually. When they left.

"Wine!" Sokka said happily, and Katara's fingers stilled.

"Um." Katara said, pursing her lips.

"Sokka insisted." Zuko said dryly, huffing. "We also have-"

"Of course I did!" Sokka said brightly, stumbling and catching himself in almost the same movement, wobbling and nearly dropping one of the jugs he was balancing in his arms. "It'll be great!"

"You think?" Suki pulled loose the broad cork of one jug Zuko held and peeked inside.

"Fire Nation liquor can be pretty strong, but this stuff shouldn't be too risky." Zuko said, nodding. "Er, Aang and Toph. . ."

"Should probably not join us with this experiment?" Katara suggested, lips quirking.

"Aang should be easy. Toph. . ." Zuko's eyebrow arched.

Katara didn't even know if Aang's monks had drunk alcohol. It didn't sound very monk-like. Toph's parents certainly did but she _highly_ doubted they'd allowed Toph any; her fellow Earth Rumble competitors on the other hand. . . But Katara wasn't sure she wanted to be around if Toph _did_ decide to drink with them, either way.

"Someone will probably have to talk to her." Suki observed, tapping the cork back into place. "And . . . convince her she doesn't want any?"

"That'll be fun." Sokka said dryly.

"I did the shopping." Zuko said with finality, shifting the jugs he held and starting to walk up towards the house again.

"You _volunteered_ for that!" Katara returned, frowning. Although it had been good he had, probably, since they first settled here on the island. He actually blended in.

"And someone else can volunteer for this." Zuko countered, snorting.

Katara, as she might have expected, wound up being the one talking to Aang and Toph. Though to her surprise, it was quite easy - Toph sniffed and waved off even the thought of joining the 'experiment'.

" _Everything_ in the Fire Nation is too spicy, Sugar Queen. No thanks." Toph said flatly, waving a hand. She kicked back, grinning. "I've got a new earthbending game I want to teach Twinkle Toes, anyway."

Katara . . . didn't ask. But neither Aang nor Toph were around after dinner that night.

The rest of them, though, lingered by the fountain, the torches Zuko had lit at dusk staked out around them as Sokka brought out the wine and Zuko located cups from somewhere in the house.

* * *

"Zuko. Zuuuko!" Sokka said, leaning in close, looking concerned. Zuko eyed him warily. Katara sipped her wine and thought she couldn't really blame him. Katara hummed, looking down into her cup. The wine was slightly spicy - like _everything_ in the Fire Nation apparently; Toph _did_ have a point - but also sweet, and it didn't so much burn as . . . tickle warmly down her throat.

She probably shouldn't have any more after this but it was . . . surprisingly good.

She might have to anyway. And they _were_ trying to _relax_ , after all, right? And it was _really_ good. Katara sighed contentedly and sipped a little more, her eyes straying back to the boys. Zuko was now leaning back a little from Sokka - who was still leaning into his space, further now in fact - eyebrow raised.

"You have something on your cheek." Sokka said, very seriously, frowning. "Zuko. . ."

Katara blinked, interested.

Zuko's face was almost expressionless. Fairly unusual, for Zuko.

"I am aware." he said, icily. _Also_ unusual for Zuko. Katara sat up a little, surprised. "Also," he continued, in a slightly less frigid tone - possibly he just couldn't keep it up for long, Katara thought, "you are _very_ drunk, and I hope you realise I am not sleeping with you tonight." he said with a huff.

Katara giggled, then jumped when Zuko looked at her and spilt a little wine over her fingers in the process. She licked it off her fingers as her brother sputtered at his boyfriend.

"But- But-! _Baby_. . ." Sokka whined, and Katara stilled again, eyebrows rising.

". . . _no._ " Zuko said, his face screwing up in distaste. "Also I'm going to bed now." He got up, wobbling a little until he took a step. " _Also_ if you try and come to bed with me tonight I may light you on fire." he told Sokka, frowning slightly.

Actually, Katara thought, peeking over at the wine jug and considering if it would _really_ be so bad to have another cup - she'd spilled some, after all - Zuko looked a little bit like he was pouting. Suki giggled and held out the jug, shaking it enticingly when Katara didn't take it immediately.

" _Good night._ " Zuko said sharply, and turned to walk away. He walked slower than his usual quick pace, long-legged strides wavering a little.

"But _Zukooo_. . ." Sokka called after him in a sad tone, without getting up. Zuko didn't pause.

Katara rolled her eyes and held out her cup. Suki grinned and refilled it. "They're ridiculous, aren't they?" she asked quietly, and Katara laughed.

"Boys are such delicate creatures." Katara agreed, wrinkling her nose, and Suki tipped her head back as she burst out laughing.

"Zuko is mad at me now. . ." Sokka slouched, sliding down as he reached for his cup.

"Zuko gets mad at least ten times before midday every day." Suki pointed out, helpfully nudging the cup towards him with her toes. Katara smothered a giggle. "I don't think there's that much to worry about. I mean, unless he _does_ light you on fire, I guess."

"Oh, he wouldn't do that." Katara said, nodding to underline her own words. Then she paused, frowning. "Probably he wouldn't do that."

"He did look pretty tipsy." Suki said with an absolute straight face. Her cheeks were flushed and Katara thought she'd gone through one of the jugs of wine on her own. "He might do it by accident."

"He might do it on _purpose_ , after I upset him. . ." Sokka whined, moving closer and flopping down with his head against Katara's hip. She patted him lightly on the shoulder in sympathy. "I was just _concerned_ I'm allowed to be concerned aren't I?"

"Sure, sweetie." Suki said absently, not looking at him.

"But now he's _angry_ \- Maybe the stupid Fire Nation doesn't let boyfriends be _concerned_." Sokka sulked. "Zuko's all. . ." He waved his hands in a slightly alarming manner.

"Zuko can be kind of touchy." Katara began.

"I know." Sokka said, sighing, not sounding so depressed, to her surprise. She looked down and saw he was grinning. Sort of a leer, actually. "It's _awesome_."

Katara smacked him. "I _meant_ his, you know, temperament." she said loftily. "And you kind of picked . . . the biggest sore spot to, uhm, pick at, Sokka. His scar's kind of. . ."

"The Fire Nation is dumb." Sokka sulked, apparently not having been listening at _all_ , and Katara huffed.

"Boys." Suki rolled her eyes and clinked her cup with Katara's, startling her. "Clueless."

Katara had to agree with her as Sokka steadily grew more pitifully maudlin until she almost wished he _would_ just go and follow Zuko to bed. Zuko would almost certainly not _really_ light him on fire, after all, probably he'd just . . . yell at him some more. And he wouldn't be _here_ , whining at her and not listening to anything she or Suki said.

"But Katara, I _really_ l-"

"That is _it_!" Katara lunged upwards and set her feet, waving her arms forwards and scooping Sokka up with long tendrils - a little broader and sloppier than she'd intended, but keeping shape - from the fountain and dropping him in it. "Sober up and _apologise_ to your stupid _boyfriend_ and stop whining at _me_ about it!"

She stalked off, feeling a little sulky herself, and left her brother floundering in the basin of the fountain.

* * *

Zuko woke with the dawn, as always, but he wasn't quite as . . . contented with it as usual. He winced when he opened his eyes, even though the curtains were drawn and the room was lit a cosy, soft red.

His head was aching dully, a band of pain behind his eyes, and he dearly considered not moving. At least the room - the house - was quiet.

The room was silent, actually; Zuko remembered that he'd told Sokka not to come to bed after him only a moment after he recognised that his boyfriend's slightly thick sleep-breathing wasn't there to be heard. He frowned at himself, feeling a little guilty, and wondered where Sokka had gone instead - not that there weren't spare rooms he could have taken, but. . .

Zuko straightened, stretching out on his back, and closed his eyes again, breathing deeply. He didn't quite try and slip into meditation, but he tried to let the pain go, focusing on his breathing.

After a little while, the pain in his head lessened a bit, he sat up, sliding out of bed with more care than usual. He poured a glass of water from the pitcher he'd left by the bed and drank it before venturing any further.

He faltered right outside his bedroom door, toes curling away from the brush of wet fabric which _certainly_ shouldn't be there. He looked down, stepping back.

Sokka was propped against the wall across from the door. Zuko went still, just . . . looking at him. He was only _sort of_ propped up, really. Sagging sideways in a way that was sure to make his left side ache at the stretch, head falling back, mouth open as he snored very softly. And he was . . . damp all over.

Zuko's brow furrowed, wondering how _that_ had happened.

He knelt, clasping Sokka's shoulder. "Sokka." he called softly, shaking his boyfriend gently.

Sokka made a muffled choking noise, but didn't wake. Zuko trailed his knuckles up Sokka's neck and over his cheek. "Wake up, stormlet."

Sokka groaned, but when Zuko shook him again he stirred, opening hazy blue eyes.

"Zuko?" Sokka mumbled. "Baby?"

Zuko twitched at the endearment, but he didn't protest this time. "Come on, Sokka. You should move to bed." He paused. "I'm sorry." he added, feeling another twinge of guilt for telling Sokka he didn't want him in bed last night. ". . .uh, why are you wet?"

"Huh?" Sokka pulled his legs in clumsily and slouched over them with a yawn. Zuko felt the back of his tunic. It was more wet there than at the shoulder, or than his pants were. "Oh. Katara threw me in the fountain." He huffed quietly.

". . .right." Zuko didn't ask why. "Get up. You can sleep more but you should get out of your wet clothes. And get into bed."

"You didn't want me in bed." Sokka said, looking up again. "I- Zuko, I'm sorry. I- Uh."

"It's okay." Zuko said, patting his shoulder awkwardly. "I shouldn't have been quite so. . ." he trailed off. "Go on. Bed."

"Okay." Sokka yawned again, reaching out to use Zuko for leverage to get up. He rose, tugging his boyfriend with him. Sokka's face scrunched up as he moved.

"Headache?" Zuko asked. His own was throbbing a little harder again now. Sokka nodded shallowly.

"Mostly tired, though." Sokka admitted as he shambled across into the bedroom in front of Zuko's guiding hands. "And ow." He winced. "Ohh. . . Bed." he collapsed onto it slowly, stretching out on his front and then wriggling happily. "I missed you, bed." he told it, voice muffled into the pillow he'd grabbed hold of and was now hugging.

Zuko snorted, reaching out to tug at the shoulder of Sokka's damp tunic.

"I missed you, too." Sokka said, angling his head enough to catch Zuko's eye. Part of his smile was visible around the pillow he held, at least until he snuggled his face deeper into it, sighing happily.

Zuko's lips twitched towards an answering smile, but he quashed it. "Hey, Sokka. Wet clothes." he reminded, but it appeared Sokka had already fallen asleep. He rolled his eyes, reaching out and then stilling, his hand just above the nape of Sokka's neck. "Sokka. . ."

Zuko frowned, then instead of waking him, sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over, body shadowing Sokka's, and ran his hands above his boyfriend, a couple of finger-widths away. A few minutes of focus and deep breaths and Zuko's headache had grown a little worse, but Sokka's clothes were steamed mostly dry.

"Sleep, stormlet." Zuko kissed his temple, then drew the blanket up over him and left him to sleep off the rest of the wine's effects.

* * *

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